Issue Paper

Refrigerated Container (Reefer) Explosion

Background On 18 October 2011, Maersk Line informed the World Shipping Council’s Safe Transport of Containers

Working Group that it had recently experienced three cases in which refrigeration units had exploded

for no apparent reason. The explosions occurred on three separate occasions in 2011 in Itajai, Brazil and

Cat Lai, Vietnam. Two men died in Vietnam and one in Brazil as a result of the explosions. CMA CGM

also reported that explosion occurred in one of their refrigerated containers in Qingdao, China, in

October.

US reefer technology provider Carrier Transicold has identified the port where the four reefer machines

that experienced compressor ruptures received refrigeration system service work at Cat Lai in Vietnam.

Maersk Line identified the malfunctioning containers underwent gas system repairs and maintenance at

the same repair yard in Vietnam between 30 March 2011 and 25 April 2011.

Investigation into the causes of explosions While the precise causes of the explosions are still under investigation, preliminary analysis appears to

confirm suspicions that the cause of the explosions was contaminated gas in the cooling units. Peter

Smidt-Nielsen, general director of Maersk in Vietnam, tells beyondbrics1 that the situation is “very

unusual” although he knows of one similar case in the 1980s and another one in the 1990s. Consultants

Cambridge Refrigeration Technology, which is helping Maersk Line with its investigation, said material

recovered from the exploded units had been analysed and evidence pointed to a counterfeit refrigerant

being to blame for the explosions2.

Carrier Transicold stated in their 8 November 2011 letter3 that “Independent lab analysis of one

quarantined reefer container unit has definitively identified R40 as a contaminant.” In its 16 November

2011 letter4, Daikin informed it had analyzed the contents of the gas which was extracted from a

compressor and R40 was identified.

R-40, also called methyl chloride or chloromethane, is a hazardous chemical compound that is extremely

flammable5. It was a widely used refrigerant, but its use has been discontinued due to its toxicity and

flammability. The most important use of methyl chloride today is as a chemical intermediate in the

1http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2011/11/07/vietnams-exploding-reefers/#axzz1iTWsFCNI

2 Attachment 1

3 Attachment 2

4 Attachment 3

5 http://www.bocsds.com/uk/sds/special/methyl_chloride.pdf

production of silicone polymers. According to Neutronics Inc.’s R-40 alert6, R-40 reacts with aluminum

and creates Trimethylaluminum which is a pyrophoric substance that will ignite spontaneously in air.

Summary of actions taken

Various actions have been undertaken by various stakeholders to address safety issue:

− Maersk Line had grounded 844 refrigerated containers that may contain contaminated coolant

fluid, while CMA CGM has grounded 332 and Singapore-based-APL has grounded around 103 as

a precaution measure.

− Maersk has also issued guidelines that any suspect boxes be cross- stuffed, the machinery

unplugged and the containers be stored in an isolated position with the machinery facing away

from people or traffic.

− Saigon New Port (SNP), operator of Cat Lai container terminal, had appointed one direct

supplier of refrigerant “for all the items of M & R requiring the refrigerant serving for the reefer

containers at SNP’s facilities”7.

Furthermore, fluorocarbon producers have warned customers to only purchase refrigerants from

authorized suppliers. They are also adopting measures to address counterfeit refrigerants:

− Honeywell started using a new security measures to detect counterfeit refrigerants. The new

anti-counterfeit technology allows for the identification of non-authentic products much faster

and more easily than was previously possible.

− DuPont Refrigerants has initiated DuPont Brand Assurance Program. The Brand Assurance

Program uses a proprietary DuPont technology which involves 3D holographic label.

The boiling point of R-40 is similar to that of R-134a, hence it is very difficult to detect R-40 when they

are mixed in the refrigerant system. Various stakeholders are developing methods to check if R-40.

− Maersk Container Industry, in its 21 December 2011 Safety Notice, suggested the only practical

method to ensure that R134a being added during service repairs is free from R-40 and any

other chemical containing chlorine, is to use a flame halide detector to test each R-134a cylinder

for any chlorine contamination. R-134a is fluorinated and does not change the blue color of the

flame. A green flame indicates the presence of chlorine, eg. R- 22 will show a green flame

because it contains chlorine.

6 http://www.refrigerantid.com/R40.html

7http://maritimeaccident.org/2011/11/exploding-reefers-the-vietnam-connection/

− Neutronics’ R-40 alert also stated that “the ONLY acceptable readings on Neutronics Ultima ID

DX or HV series refrigerant identifiers for a "virgin" R-134a cylinder are:

R-134a 100%

R-12 0%

R-22 0%

HC 0%

Air/Non 0%

− US-based Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), in particular SAE’s, will be discussing the R-40

issue during the January 17, 2012 SAE Interior Climate Control Standards Committee meeting at

MACS 2012 Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Issues for National Ozone Unit: HFC-134a is the widely adopted alternative refrigerants for refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment

including domestic refrigerator, Mobile A/C systems, and reefers. There is evidence that R-40 has been

supplied in 30lb. cylinders and marked as R-134a. R-40 and R-40 mixed with other refrigerants have

been used by the refrigeration technicians to service, both stationary and MAC thinking it was the real

R-134a. It is advisable for the National Ozone Unit to consider various measures to address the issue of

counterfeit refrigerants to avoid widespread damage to RAC systems and negative opinions against ODS

alternatives in the country.

− Coordinate with RAC equipment manufacturer (mobile A/C, domestic and refrigerator,

compressor) to provide notice to their dealers.

− Coordinate with refrigerant importers/distributors to conduct random checking of refrigerants

in the market and to provide notice to their customers.

− Inform Customs officials to be more vigilant on fake R134a gas and to use refrigerant identifiers

to check for their purity level.

− Coordinate with refrigeration associations to provide notice to their members.

− Disseminate information to media, in particular those related to refrigeration and air-

conditioning, to spread out the news among relevant stakeholders.

Attachment 1

Attachment 2

Attachment 3

Updates,20 April 2012: The following documents have been published in relation to the recent

occurrences of ruptured compressors in some container refrigeration machinery. This is the information

that has been released (that the UNEP-ROAP CAP is aware of) about these incidents. It is possible that

other information has also been published:

• Maersk Line Letter (released by the WSC): 18 October 2011

• Carrier Transicold: 21 October 2011

• Carrier Transicold: 27 October 2011

• Thermo King: 27 October 2011

• GEA Bock: September 2011

• Maersk Line update to WSC 28 October 2011

• Star Cool: 1 November 2011

• Lloyd's Register: 3 November 2011

• Carrier Transicold: 8 November 2011

• Daikin Industries: 9 November 2011

• Thermo King: 11 November 2011

• Daikin Industries: 16 November 2011

• Carrier Transicold (Refrigerant Quality Guidelines): 24 November 2011

• CRT: 6 December 2011

• Carrier Transicold (Testing of new R134a refrigerant supply): 16 December 2011

• Society of Automotive Engineers: 21 December 2011

• Star Cool: 21 December 2011

• MCI Safety Notice: 21 December 2011

• CRT Guide to Flame Testing: 16 January 2012

• Halide Torch Information: 16 January 2012

Events and some taken actions:

• Counterfeit Refrigerants/Contaminated Reefer Machinery 4th COA Reefer Forum

Antwerp, Wednesday 28 March 2012. The 4th COA Forum on Counterfeit Refrigerant

Gases and Contaminated Refrigeration Machinery tool place in Antwerp on Wednesday

28 March 2012. Morning classroom sessions were followed by demonstrations of testing

procedures in the afternoon.

• Counterfeit Refrigerants/Contaminated Machinery 3rd COA(Container Owners

Association) Reefer Forum Singapore: 9 February 2012. The COA organised a Forum in

Singapore on Thursday 9 February 2012, aimed at updating the industry with regard to

systems for testing refrigerant gas canisters and samples of refrigerants from reefer

machinery.

• Counterfeit Refrigerants/Contaminated Machinery 2nd COA Reefer Forum: London, 19

December 2011. The Container Owners Association and the TT Club organised an

industry Forum on Monday 19 December, bringing together container owners,

refrigeration machinery manufacturers and relevant experts to debate ways to resolve

the exploding reefer machinery issue

• 10th

Containers Owners Association members meeting will be held in Seoul,Korea.12-13

June 2012.with special session on Refrigeration Machinery Status on Contaminated

Refrigeration Issues

• Heatcraft Australia has issued a recall of certain models of a Kirby brand packaged

refrigeration unit supplied within Australia and suspected of being charged with the

potentially dangerous counterfeit R134a refrigerant. HEATCRAFT Australia has

confirmed that the “flammable and poisonous” counterfeit refrigerant responsible for

the recall of certain models of Kirby packaged refrigeration units in Australia does have

methyl chloride (R40) as one of its constituents. It has also been confirmed that the

suspect units were manufactured and charged with the refrigerant at its own factory in

China.

Some news from UNEP and World Customs Organization and Countries Customs stations:

• UNEP Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) in Bangkok has contacted

Environment Programme of World Customs Organization about this issue and the

issue paper(earlier version) has been sent to all members of World Customs

Organization for their awareness and any necessary action at the borders.

• CAP has been in contact with counterfeiting and piracy at the WCO’s Counterfeiting

and Piracy Group to raise this important issue in their working group. Also a

representative of UNEP OzonAction office in Paris will participate in coming WCO’s

counterfeiting and piracy group meeting, on 2 – 3 May 2012 at the WCO in Brussels.

• The issue paper has been sent to all the National Ozone Officers in the region

countries in Asia and the Pacific to take any possible and necessary action at their

national levels.

• UNEP CAP in Bangkok has been in contact with The Customs Capacity Building

Working Group who is working to support the other Working Groups (Customs

Procedures and Trade Facilitation Working Group and Customs Enforcement and

Compliance Working Group) to raise counterfeiting issues in their training and

capacity building programmes in their member countries.

• Customs Services at the Greater Port in Saint Petersburg succeeded to seize more

than 19 metric tons of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) in February 2012. The

cylinders originated from China and were shipped by sea transport via Gdansk in

Poland to Saint Petersburg in the Russian Federation. They were mis-declared as

hydrofluorocarbon R134a which is not controlled by the Montreal Protocol. But

actually the shipment contained 3320 kg of R12, 2490 kg of R113, 4980 kg of R141b

as well of 8300 kg of a mixture of R22 and the toxic R40. The import of these

chemicals into the Russian Federation is either banned or requires an import license.

The investigations are still ongoing.

• UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific(Compliance Assistance Programme)

invited DuPont and Containers Owners Association to the South East and South Asia

annual network meeting of Ozone Officers(held 15-17 May 2012 in Paro, Bhutan) to

present their latest study results and findings on R40 and Anti-Counterfeiting

activities to the network meeting which was very helpful to raise awareness of the

network countries.

• UNEP ROAP has shared the latest news and updates with Environmental

Investigation Agency(EIA) which is doing investigation to find some information

about the source of this contaminated refrigerant.

Some news and updates from COA:

• COA is developing a global database of all service companies using refrigerant to

service refrigerated containers which will show those companies that are following

recommended practices and are physically testing refrigerant for contamination

before it is used. This database would be completed in May 2013.

• Over 20,000 units (out of a world fleet of 1.3 million units) have had gas samples

tested for contamination. Shipping line owners are finding around 1.5% of units have

some chloride contamination. Leasing company owners (with a wider range of

customers) are finding around 6% of units with chloride contamination and just

under 1% with R40.

• The most commonly found contamination is R142b followed by R22 – found in

around 6% of units tested but generally found in quite high concentrations

suggesting it is being used in a c.50/50 mix in fake cylinders. Some way behind these

2 chemicals come R12 and R40. The R12 is found in small concentrations and often

on its own suggesting an old R12 cylinder on a ship or depot has been used. R12 is

clearly not going to be a growing problem. R40 is found in higher concentrations

than R12 (but less than R142b/R22) and normally mixed with 142b/22. Given it is

cheap to buy as an industrial chemical, COA are likely to see it continuing to be

used. COA are seeing only very small occurrences of Butane being found and this

doesn’t seem to be a problem at this stage.

• It is COA’s understanding that the growing availability of these fake gases was largely

triggered by the Montreal Protocol phaseout of HCFCs in new equipment in 2010

which resulted in surplus recovered material, unused new cylinders etc thus making

the supply and price of R22 and R142b plentiful and cheap. This coincided with price

rises for R134a. Mixed together, R142b and R22 make a mixture that has somewhat

similar properties to R134a – at least close enough that it is not immediately obvious

to a service engineer.

• Aside from the illegality of these fake gases and their environmental impact, their

presence in large container refrigeration systems is undesirable from safety,

reliability and performance perspectives. While COA know that R40 can create very

dangerous conditions in a system resulting in explosions, R142b is flammable and if

air was to get into systems, there is a possibility that explosions could result.

Checking gas before its used for service is the best way for owners/users to prevent

the spread of the use of fake R134a.

• At a COA conference in November 2012, a company manufacturing test devices

claimed that they had asked the Rotterdam Municipal authority if they could take

samples from Bus, Tram and Train air conditioning systems to proof a new device

they had developed. The tests found that many samples were contaminated with

chloride. Separate enquiries made to the Rotterdam authority since then were

apparently met with the reply that no contaminated gas has been used to service

their equipment and that their systems were clean. It is probable that they are

simply are unaware of whether they are using fake gas but, if the contamination is

present as claimed, it underlines the challenge of limiting the use of fake gas supply

even in highly regulated countries such as the Netherlands. (Updated on 18 March

2013)